Sheriff's cold cases to get fresh look on Facebook

Sheriff's investigators are hoping that cold cases dating back to 1957 could be solved with the help of Facebook.

LYDA LONGASTAFF WRITER

Sheriff's investigators are hoping that cold cases dating back to 1957 could be solved with the help of Facebook.

Every Monday, a graphic that includes a picture of a murdered individual and a brief synopsis of the person's death will appear on the Facebook page of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, said sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson.

Investigator Chuck Lee of the Cold Case Squad is hoping that the effort will jog someone's memory or bring a new perspective to an unsolved murder.

Of the 39 people killed, one was a 2-year-old child, Davidson said. In addition, seven of the people murdered were never identified.

The first case chosen for the campaign is the 1974 murder of James Aslinger of DeBary. Aslinger was found inside a house on Bent Junction Road in May of that year, "his body exhibiting signs of violent trauma," Davidson said.

Sgt. Pat Thoman, head of the agency's Major Case Unit, said he hopes the exposure on Facebook proves successful: "Often public exposure is our biggest ally in solving crime. Each and every one of these cases is one phone call away from being solved."

If anyone has information regarding any of the cold cases that will be featured on the Facebook page, please call investigator Chuck Lee, 386-254-1535, or, if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers, 888-277-TIPS (8477).